Climb the Steepest Mountain

There are times in life when you are tired and you want to go for a leisurely walk. You want to relax and take in the scenery and just enjoy the moment.

There are other times when you need to strive to be the very best you.

During these times, I encourage you not to take the leisurely path, but to find the steepest mountain you can climb, and get moving.

This image perfectly demonstrates that risks and reward associated with different paths.

Path 1:

Path one offers a good climb. You’ll put in work, get a little winded, and end up at a higher point than when you started. It will offer some challenges, but for the most part, it’s not going to be very difficult for you. You hike to the top, meeting quite a few people on the way who are doing the same, and you’ll get a nice view.

Path 2:

Path two is hard. It will require a lot of preparation, be littered with challenges and risks, and you’ll be going it alone. You’ll be going to a place that very few dare to go. But when you reach the top, you will have done things that few people have done and see things that few people have ever seen.

I challenge you to take the second path at least a few times in your life.

You can set your sights on a comfy desk job where you can make a decent living, get a few weeks of vacation, and work your way up the corporate ladder. When you reach the top of that ladder, the views will be pretty good, but you will ultimately feel less than exhilarated.

Or you can walk a little further and climb up the bigger mountain. You aren’t prepared to climb it. You never will be. It’s just one of those mountains that you have to figure out as you go. There is no straight path up this mountain because nobody else has gone here before. The path is winding, but not aimless. You determine the path because nobody else has worn one down for you. You are on new ground.

This mountain forces you to learn your own personal strengths and weaknesses. It forces you to be creative. It can also take a very, very long time to reach the top

The steeper the incline, the higher the summit, and my goodness, the views are spectacular.

Rather than focusing on a destination, focus on a path. The steeper the incline, the more challenging the learning curve, the more you get that nervous pit in your stomach, the more you KNOW that the view at the summit will be amazing.

Your life doesn’t need to be filled with Matterhorn’s and Everest’s, but it also doesn’t need to be one long, boring stroll either. Mix it up. Strap in for a rough ride. Go to sleep exhausted because you learned so much. Forge your own path rather than always walking the well one, blindly following the footprints of someone else who has been here before.

And when you get to the top, pull out your phone and snap a photo that nobody else has ever snapped.

Commit to the struggle so you can bask in the sunshine at the top. The views up here are absolutely spectacular.

Climb on.

Photo by Dylan Siebelink on Unsplash